(CNS): In the wake of a recent meeting between government officials, relevant non-profit organisations, developers and members of both the National Conservation Council and the Central Planning Authority, held under the banner of ‘Cayman Forward’, the Cayman Islands Government has declared that a successful first step has been taken in trying to reduce the long-running conflict between conservation and development.
While the full details of the one-day talking shop, held on 5 June and mediated by policy experts from the UK, have not been released, Premier André Ebanks told CNS he believes those involved saw it as a worthwhile exercise, especially given the dialogue it started between the CPA and the NCC, as it was clear the parties had not been talking.
Alleviating concerns that the National Conservation Act might be weakened under pressure from developers, the premier offered assurances that his government does not plan to rewrite the law. If there are any changes to the NCA, they would not weaken it but update it to reflect more modern policy and clarify some areas that are fueling the conflict.
He said the Cayman Forward meeting “was not about attributing blame to either side” of the debate over development versus protection of the environment, but rather a fact-based review of how to get to the heart of the issue because it is clear “something is going wrong”.
Although the premier was reluctant to assign blame, the courts have found that the CPA ignored lawful directions from the NCC, specifically in granting planning permission for the redevelopment of an old, failing structure on Boggy Sand Beach in West Bay, which was already partly in the water within a marine park.
Ebanks explained that outdated planning legislation was one of the main issues that must be addressed, but before that can happen, they have to update the development plan. A draft plan is not expected until the end of this year due to challenges. Although the premier did not specify what these challenges are, CNS understands that the holdup is due to the concerns of the development sector.
Some outdated planning processes could be addressed through technology, he said, but the real issue is that the NCC and the CPA are operating on two different tracks instead of uniting under a clear government policy. This will ultimately be implemented by a technical working group.
Echoing comments he made on social media last week, the premier said that Cayman Forward was a productive, collegiate conversation that he hopes will “help move Cayman forward on a legacy issue that has not been resolved for decades, which is to better align our natural and built environment”.
Ebanks said his view was that the discussions were “very important” and largely welcomed by those involved — which representatives of non-profits who attended confirmed. However, they told CNS that they could not comment until the technical mediators, who were the ‘referees’ for the event, draft a review of the meeting.
The premier added that communication among relevant government entities has been lacking, and the parties involved recognised that this must be improved and that a consensus on policy must be reached. He said the meeting produced some good ideas and “good thoughts” about how to shape the planning process to prevent the CPA and DoE from clashing over their relevant legislation and ending up in court.
While the process was criticised by the opposition for its lack of transparency, the premier defended it as normal when people are engaging candidly to resolve long-running conflicts productively. He said the meeting was held in an informal, closed space where everyone could just talk openly.
Overall, the event enabled a discussion about possible short-term solutions as well as what was needed in the long term, the premier said. He described it as a preliminary step and said there would be more dialogue on these important issues. However, it does not appear that any concrete steps to strengthen environmental protection have yet emerged.
More information is expected when the review is complete.
